Very sorry to hear about F/S - it looked like they were off to a good season. I hope they recover soon!

Some of both.
Men:
Daisuke--he's just the best and has a champion's spirit. From his last (first) skate it looked like all he lacked was stamina and I'm hoping he's got that now.
Patrick--he's the best too! I'm thinking Canadian crowd in an Olympic year, esp. when he's coming back after injury, means his first time out will be too much pressure to win. But as long as Dai and Patrick win G & S in any order, I'm happy.
Preaubert--no special reason, just that he'll be skating with relatively less pressure than Abbott, who ought to do beat him (if not everyone else)... but Jeremy seems like such a sensitive young man, he may crumble again, and then Alban could zip in for a medal.

Ladies:
Suzuki--whoa, this lady's on a roll and has fabulous programs this year.
Rochette--basically I'm assuming all the Canadian skaters will have a home field disadvantage at this event, except for V/M who seem invincible. Joannie didn't do so well at her first event and may not overcome it right away. Hopefully she'll get the kinks out of her system before Feb. Anyway I'll eat my... gloves? if she doesn't make the podium.
Czisny--Alissa has so much talent, she's going to make the podium sometimes Why not here? She's won this event before so I'm thinking she likes Canada.

Pairs: Just hopeful guesses in this field. I'm not keen on the Canadian team D/D, even though I wish them the best, and certainly accident-free skates!
M/T
S/S
D/B

Dance: Similarly hopeful guesses. I don't follow this discipline as much as the others, but just moved up S/B to the second spot due to F/S withdrawal, and added W/P. (These kids get home field advantage because they're young.)
V/M
S/B
W/P

Czisny--Alissa has so much talent, she's going to make the podium sometimes Why not here? She's won this event before so I'm thinking she likes Canada.

My thoughts exactly. If she could only channel the consistency she had at that competition in 2005 she would make the podium.. with possibly higher PCS marks as well. Coincidentally that's where she received her PB...(well technically this years Nebelhorn Trophy she had a PB in the SP: 60.38). She also got Bronze at last years SC.

She may have a slim chance of winning SC, but since this may be her last event before Nationals, it would be nice for her to have a couple of new PB's heading into Spokane. As much as I would love for her to make the OT, its looking like Flatt & Wagner are the front runners. But on the other hand... I guess had she finished in the top 8 @ Worlds, there would be 3 spots for the US and a little bit more breathing room for her.

If this is true, which probably is, my guess for ladies now turns out to be:

1. Suzuki (flooding with joy to skate, making the Final)
2. Lepisto (biggest spoiler to Joannie)
3. Rochette (unlikely to keep her nerves in both programs under her obligation pressure)
4-6. Nagasu/Czisny/Zhang (rooting for them in this order)

In this case Wagner and Flatt (both having one silver medal) go to GPF, no?

It is truly a packed field. Too hard to predict. All I feel is that Patrick Chan will be gold in Men and V/M will be gold in Dance.

If I have to choose three, in Men:

1. Chan - He seems relatively consistant.
2. Abbott - He has everything, and might pull out a good performance one of these days.
3. Takahashi - He hasn't fully recovered on his jumps.

That podium looks real to me, but it would be kind of useless in terms of GPF. Chan can't be in GPF, because he missed CoR. Abbott needs to be 1st, and Takahashi - at least 2nd in order to have a chance to qualify for GPF. If I'm not mistaken.

Canada sweeps the competition! And if they don't, they will have messed up my last prediction of this GP-series.

That will be the cheapest and most effective ad for Figure Skating Olympic Program.

My prediction

Pairs
1) S/S- thy can make one or two falls and still win
2)M/T - If they lead after sp they may end up third, they may implode under self creating pressure.
3)D/D- they will need to perform clean program and hope others do not to win the title.

Ice Dancing
1) V/M- only question is how their PCS compares with D/W.
2)P/B- natalia and fabian should win second position
3)S/B - wide open, but they are best of the rest.

Abbott, contesti, Kvdp, D.Ten, Preaubert could all medal.Ladies
1) Suzuki - hope she does well
2) Rochette- two clean programs pls
3)Mirai Nagasu - she is favorite american female skater, hence i hope she can fully rotate her jumps

I read akiko sounding very confident. she says that she newly improved her edges quality and can skate without efforts like Shizuka. In a way, this sounds more promising than hearing her saying that she has been consistent in her jumps. Jump consistency is so elusive; but if you can focus on basic skating skills you are on your feet. I hope that she doesn't think too much from now to the comp and just goes on at the current frame of the mind.

I read akiko sounding very confident. she says that she newly improved her edges quality and can skate without efforts like Shizuka. In a way, this sounds more promising than hearing her saying that she has been consistent in her jumps. Jump consistency is so elusive; but if you can focus on basic skating skills you are on your feet. I hope that she doesn't think too much from now to the comp and just goes on at the current frame of the mind.

Edging could also help her with her jump consistency, since both Lutz and Flip aren't good jumps for her, she gets edge calls/warnings on both. So maybe some refinement of the edge work in general also will help with those two jumps.

Edging could also help her with her jump consistency, since both Lutz and Flip aren't good jumps for her, she gets edge calls/warnings on both. So maybe some refinement of the edge work in general also will help with those two jumps.

Oh, she gets calls/warnings on both jumps. I see! I had atually sometimes felt puzzled when she got edge calls on one of them because the other one could look more questionable to me. But now it makes better sense! Yukari gets calls/warnings on both, too.
Other than the questionable edges, however, her Lutz/Flip are fab, with great height and flow. Very powerful. But perhaps she could never get plus GOE if she gets edge call/warning? Then better fix it.

Canada sweeps the competition! And if they don't, they will have messed up my last prediction of this GP-series.

A daring prediction~I'm loving it
I would put Langlois/Hay in 4th because they always placed 4th in SC.

I am not very good in prediction except for the men last season guided by PJ's curse, so I decided to shy away from the prediction posts. But I change my mind after seeing yours, and pull out my Canadian flag to show some surpport